From the first century BC, traders met in the Roman Forum - a rectangular courtyard lined with shops. Also on the site in Plaka stands the octangular Tower of the Winds, built in 1BC by Macedonian astronomer Andronikos.
The Roman Forum, also known as the Roman Agora, is a westward extension of the classical Athens market. The Roman Agora hosted all administrative and commercial business of the city during the tumultuous Middle Ages, when the city was under constant threat of attack.